1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for continuous casting of metal bars where the bar to be cast can have as desired the cross-section of a slab bloom or of at least two metal bars of smaller cross-section employing a plate mold, which is provided with a water tank supporting the narrow and wide side walls, where further narrow intermediate side walls are provided between the narrow side walls for the casting of at least two metal bars.
2. Brief Description of the Background of the Invention Including Prior Art
It is frequently desired to produce with one and the same apparatus for continuous casting, metal bars of different cross-sectional dimensions, where the mold form available for the largest metal bar cross-section is to be used advantageously also for smaller metal bar cross-section format sizes. An apparatus for this purpose is known for from Austrian Patent AT-PS No. 233,187, where one or more intermediate narrow side walls are inserted between the narrow side walls of a mold for one slab bloom size such that two or more side by side disposed metal bars of smaller cross-section can be simultaneously cast in a mold laid out for one slab bloom size. A problem arises however as to the attachment and to the supply with cooling medium of the narrow intermediate side walls clamped additionally between the wide side walls, which is not resolved in AT-PS No. 233,187.
An attachment for the additionally employed narrow intermediate side walls is known from German Patent Application Laid Out DE-AS No. 2,003,787, where a fixed intermediate wall is inserted between the wide side walls, which is attached to the wide side walls. Plates, which are adjustable in their inclination, are hinged to this fixed positioned intermediate wall.
The requirements regarding space are a disadvantage of this construction for the intermediate wall attached to the wide side walls, by which amount the useful cross-sections of the mold are decreased. A further disadvantage is that the adjustable attachment of the plates to the fixed position intermediate wall requires construction components, which protrude beyond the upper or, respectively, lower edge of the mold, such that on the one hand the upper covering of the mold has to be provided at a larger distance than is usual, which in turn degrades the viewing possibilities into the mold, and on the other hand guide rollers cannot be disposed adjoining immediately to the lower end of the mold, whereby the danger of bellying of the metal bar arises at high casting material throughput.